Methods and Apparatus for Performing a Non-Continuous Circumferential Treatment of a Body Lumen

An apparatus for renal denervation, the apparatus comprising:

• a catheter configured for intravascular placement within a renal blood vessel of a human patient;
• an expandable balloon at a distal portion of the catheter, wherein the expandable balloon is configured to transform between a delivery configuration and a deployed configuration sized to fit within the renal blood vessel;
• a plurality of electrodes attached to the expandable balloon, wherein each electrode comprises an elongated strip comprising at least one pair of bipolar contacts;
• wherein, when the expandable balloon is in the deployed configuration, the electrodes are spaced apart from each other and arranged circumferentially about the balloon,
• wherein the electrodes are configured to deliver thermal radio frequency (RF) energy across an interior wall of the renal blood vessel to targeted renal nerves to achieve at least partial renal denervation.

An apparatus for renal neuromodulation, the apparatus comprising:

• a catheter configured for intravascular placement within a renal artery of a human patient;
• an inflatable balloon at a distal portion of the catheter, wherein the inflatable balloon is configured to transform between a delivery configuration and a deployed configuration sized to fit within the renal artery;
• a first electrode having a first pair of bipolar contacts attached to the inflatable balloon;
• and
• a second electrode having a second pair of bipolar contacts attached to the inflatable balloon,
• wherein, when the inflatable balloon is in the deployed configuration, the first electrode and the second electrode are arranged in parallel and are circumferentially disposed about the inflatable balloon,
• wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are configured to deliver thermal energy to produce first and second treatment zones, respectively, along a common lengthwise segment of the renal artery.